Means for measuring and regulating the charge and discharge of secondary batteries



(No Model.)

W. P. KOOKOGEY. MEANS FOR MEASURING AND REGULATING THE CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF SECONDARY BATTERIES.

No. 408,112. Patented July 30, 1889.

WITNESSES: llVl/E/VTOB: Saw/a M Q J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM P. KOOKOGEY, ()F BROOKLYN, NENV YORK.

MEANS FOR MEASURING AND REGULATING THE CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF SECONDARY BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,112, dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed July 5. 1888. Serial No. 279.110. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM P.Koo1 oeEY, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Means for Measuring and Regulating the Charge and Discharge of Storage-Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically breaking the circuit passing from the generator to a storage-battery at a predetermined charge without disturbing its connection with the working-circuit. Its object is to automatically stop the operation of charge at the moment when complete, and thus prevent waste of power and unnecessary expense.

In consists, in general, of the introductioninto the charging and working circuits of an electro-depositing cell, one of the plates of which is attached to one end of a balancebeam and movable under the influence of gravity, the other end of the balance-beam operating circuitrconnections in the chargingcircuit, the charging-current passing through the depositing-cell in one direction and the discharging-current in the opposite direction. Then the movable plate, by the deposition of metal upon it through the action of the charging-current, has reached a certain predetermined weight, that end of the balancebeam descends, and thereby opens the charging-circuitat the other end of thebeam. The discharging-current as soon as the working line is closed then passes through. the depos iting-cell in the opposite direction, and the metal is removed from the movable plate. The working-circuit is not opened by the action of the balance.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate analogous parts, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the invention, and Fig. 2 represents a modification of the compensating shunt.

A is the generator or charging source, such as a dynamo-machine or galvanic battery.

B is a storage-battery to be charged from the generator A.

D is the electro-depositin'g cell, and E the balance.

\Vithin the cell D are two plates, one (1 being stationary and electrically connected with the storage-battery B, and the other d being movable and attached mechanically and electrically to one end of thebcam of the balance E. ,At the other end of the balance E isacircuit closer, consisting of a forked rod 6' dipping into mercury-cups f, arranged, when connected by the immersion of the forked rod 6' in the mercury, to form apart oi the charging-circuit.

In the position shown in Fig. 1 the circuit is complete and the storage-battery B may be charged, during which operation metal is deposited upon the plate (1. The balance-beam of the balance E and the parts depending from it are to be so balanced that aftera certain predetermined amount of metal has been deposited upon the plate d it will descend by gravity and thus break the charging-circuit at the cup f. As the weight of metal deposited bears a fixed relation to the current passing through the cell, this serves as an accurate measurement of the amount of charge.

Different kinds of elements and of solution maybe used in. the cell D. As the best method I contemplate having the elements of copper in a solution of sulphate of copper. One or both of the elements may be movable. The internal resistance of the cell D should be made as low as possible.

F is a circuit arranged for worke. g., a series of lamps.

G is a shunt calculated to carry any predetermined portion of the current, so that only a certain portion shall pass through the cell D, it being undesirable to pass all the current through the cell. The shunt G operates whether the storage-batteryB is charging or discharging, the current dividing at g during the charge and at g during the discharge. The balance E in Fig. 1 may or may not form part of the path of the current. Another path is shown affording better connections through the conductor (1 and the mercury-cup f, (the conductor (1 being immersed in the mercury in all positions of the balance.) From this there is connection with the working-circuit at g and with the charging-circuit by means of the forked conductor 6, whose ends dip into separate mercury-cups f. By means of the weight 7t, screwing upon one arm of the balance E, adjustment of the balance maybe made, in order to meet varied conditions of the generator and the storagebatterysuch as, c. a larger n umber ol. cells to be charged. M is an. additional shunt to compensate for loss of power, whose purpose will be explained farther on.

The operation is as follows, (supposing tor the present that the shunt Ill is not there:) The parts are in the position ready to charge, and the working-circuit is supposed to be open. The eharging-currcnt will therefore pass from generator A through battery B; then dividing at g, a certain part through cell D, and the remainder through shunt (l, the two portions uniting at the ioii1tg ",and passing thence through eupsf and conductor e back to the generator A. \Yheu the predetermined amount of charge hasbeen made, the plated descends, the conductor c leaves the cupsf, and the cl'iargilig-circuit is broken. In discharging the current passes from the battery 13 through the working-circuit to the point 1, where it divides, one part going through the shunt G- and the renutinder through the cell 1) back. to the battery l3. During this operation, the current being reversed, the reverse operation takes place in the cell i), and the plate (1 loses again what was deposited upon it, and this continues as long as the working-circuit is closed, the amount removed from the plate (1 bearing the same relation to the discharging current as the amount deposited did to the charging. In other words, the cell 1) acts as an automatic regulator, permitting the generator to be .in circuit just long enough to supply the energy which hasbeen used, and no longer, whatever quantity may have been used. Since the plate d descends as soon as it acquires weight enough, any decrease ol? that weight will cause it to ascend, and therefore it ascends almost immediately after the reverse (2., the workingcurrent) is started. The elli'ect of this is to ag: u. start the chargingcurrent, and both wou I d be operatin g togeth er. \Vhenever this is undesirable, it may be avoided by arranging a break in the charging-circuit to he operated by the working-circuit. This is shown .in the circuit-ln'eakei' u, operated by the magnet t, which leads from the working-line, and by the spring i, which is designed to hold the circuit-ln'eaker a in position to close the (illtlg'lllQ-(ill'Cllit whcu ever the magnet! is not energized. 0., when ever the wi'rrking-eircuit is open.

This invention is susceptible ol. a most important use when used in connection with a system by which the storaged'iattery is autonia'tically connected with the charging-circuit by the mere opening ol. the w nl ing-circuit and with the working-circuit by the mere closing of the working-oireuit. Such a system is shown in an application tiled by me .l une ll, 1988, for zuniat'atus and connections for cl larging and. discluirging SlLOlElQ'O-lHthhOl'lGS, Serial. No. 270,774.

By the combined use of that invention and this one a system is obtained in which. a storargedmttery automatically connects with its charging source as soon as its work. ceases- (a. its last light is turned oul.is auttnnatically disconnected. [from the charging source as soon. as a full charge has been. received, and is automatically connected with the working-line at any time by merely starting the work-12. 1., the turning on ol a lamp.

In the use of storage-batteries there is a los. by local action, and they return loss current than they receive. Unless this is allmved for in some way more metal will. be deposited upon the plate (1 during the clutrgo than is removed during the discharge, and this will soon render the balance incorrect. This (UHF pensation might be made by moving the weight 7; after each discharge, but the addition of the shunt M does it automatically. The idea of the shunt M is that it shall be in. circuit during the charge and out of circuit during the discharge, so that all. the tllStifllitlging-eurrent shall pas... through. the cell T) and the shunt G, but during the charge enough shall. be taken by the shunt M to balance the difference between the charging and discharging currents through. the cellv l).

.l3y regulating the relative resista nccs ot' the shunts hl. and (:i the same amount ol' current may be made to pass through the cell .If) in one direction as in the other. Thus, a. r it the loss by local action be about one-tenth of the current stored and the sum ol? the three resistances ol the cell. 1), the shunt (i, and the shunt M between the points g and. g should be .100 of an ohm, and the separate resistance of; the cell. i) and. its conlmctions should be .080 of an ohm; then the shunt M. should have a resistance ol. .0123 oli an. ohm and the shunt G a resistance of .007 of an ohm.

It is evident that the principle of the compensating shunt M is equally applicalde where all the current is passed through. the cell ll) instead of some part through the shunt G.

In. Fig. Lhwhich illustrates another method of using the ccnnpensating shunt, n and n. are stationarypieces whose ends dip into the insulated mercury-cup m, which is fixed on the end of the 'balanco 1C. lhrough them the shunt hi. is kept in circuitduring the charge, and is cut out when the charge is complete by the falling of the end h of the balance E; but in this case the relative resistance oi. the shunt MI would have to dill'er from that in Ihig. l, inasmuch as the shunt hl would be out of circuit; only at the beginning of the discharge and l'or a short time.

The main. idea of. this invention. is the use ol? the principle of tho elcctro-depositing cell in con'ibination with suitable mechanism to transmit the motion caused. by the variations of weight in. the elements elf the cell. under the operation elf the current, in order to stop the charging oli a storage-battery at a predetermined point without disturbing its connection with. the working-circuit. :1 know of no prior use ol? this principle for that purpose.

The balance is but one convenient IIO form of mechanism for transmitting the motion.

I know it is not new to use the eloctrolytic action of an electro-depositing cell to connect a storage-battery alternately With the charging' source and the Working-line by means of a balance operating at one end a circuitbreaker in the charging-circuit and at the other end a circuit-breaker in the Working circuit; nor is it broadly new to use electrolytic action to break the char'gin g-cireuit after a given charge. I do not, therefore, claim those matters.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the following elements: a charging-circuit, a storage-battery, a working-circuit, an elect-ro-depositing cell forming part of both the Working-circuit and of the charging-circuit and having one plate movable, and a balance attached at one end to the movable plate and actuating at its other end circuit-connections in the charging-circuit, and a permanent connection between the cell and the Working-circuit, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the following elements: a charging-circuit, a storage-battery, a Working-circuit, an electro-depositing cell forming part of both the Working-circuit and of the charging-circuit and having one plate movable, a balance attached at one end to the movable plate and actuating at its other end circuit-connections in the charging-circuit, and a compensating shunt with. a circuitbreaker, such shunt passing around the electro-depositing cell, taking such proportion of the charging-current as will balance the loss by local action in the storage-battery during the discharge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed myname, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 2d day of July, 1888.

WVM. P. KOOKOGEY.

\Vitnesses:

Gno. O. BRAINERD, FRANK FISCHER. 

